Blade lashing



June 19, 1928.

D. C.- DAVIS BLADE LASHING Filed Feb. 26, 1926 V. C Vav i S INVENTOR BY 65 ATTORNEY Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT -OFFICE...

DAVID C. DAVIS, OF MON'ICLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELEC- TRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BLADE LASHING-f Application filed February 26, 1926. j Serial No. 90,846.

My. invention relates to elastic fluid turbines, more particularly to the blading thereof, and has for its objectthe provision of an improved lashing means, for turbine blades which shall be effectiveito minimize vibration thereof and which shall be simple.

and easy of application. p

A particulariobject of myuinvention is to provide, a turbine bladeHlashingQwhmh shall be retained in place, by fused metal meansand which shall. involve the applica tion of a minimum of heat,to the blades in the process of application.

provide a, turbine,hlade lashingsecured in lace by fusion of metal and which shall;

utilize. equal. amounts of soldering orbrazingmaterial onteach bladein theprocess of application- Apparatus embodylng features of lily- 1D- vention is illustratedin the;accompany1ng drawings forming part of this specificationrin which Fig.1. is a sectional plan v ew of 'a partial row of turbine-blades hav ng my improved lashing meansap l edthereto; Fig. 2 is aviewsimilanto Flg. l and showing another form of my invent on; Fig, 3 isa plan View of a bladeshowmga step in theprocess of securing the lash ngto the blades; and Fig. 4c is;a view showing the finalstepin the process ofapplication. H

Turbine blade lashing, as known to me, has heretofore been in the form of a wire inserted in a seriesof holes or recesses in the blades and secured thereto by fusion of metal, such as solderinmor braz ng, or by distortion of the: meta of the lashing on each side of the blade. Sometimes a combination of the two methods has been employed in order to securely fasten the lashing to the blades.

Due'to the temperatures ord nar ly obtaining in a turblneand the stresses to whichcthe blades. and lashing are, subjected in operation, the process of securing the lashing to the blades by fusion of metal has involved the employment of a soldering or brazing. flux having. a much higher melting point than materials commonly used 1n the arts for the same purpose, the solder usually employed being silver. Due to the high meltin pointwof silver solder, the ord nary metho of soldering by means of a heated tool applied to the solder could not em plays audit haabeen necessary-to heat the blade, thelashing wire and the solder, usually by means of a gas flame, until the solder would run and together. 7

The method of soldering just described while effective for securing the lashing wire to the blades, is open to the serious objec} terious effect on its physical properties, lead:

ing at timesto its breakagein service- Anl other difficulty encountered has been that the A further-object of my invention is to solder employed is relatively expensive and when it is melted. and beginsito run .considerable amount .is spilled and wasted; Furthermore, the method does not ensure the employment of the same amount of solder on each blade and the, uneven distribution of the weightthereof around the turbinerotor'tends to unbalance the later.

' \Vhere lashing wire has been secured to the blades by distortion of the metal of the wire on each side of .a blade, difficulties have been encountered in "securing.. a sufiicient bearing surface for the distorted metal againsttheblade to effect a permanent juncture between the wire and the blade. This difficulty has led to the employmentof a combination ,of distortion. of metal and soldering. This .latter method, .however, is subject to the same difiiculties in soldering eady po ted o v These and other difliculties are overcome in accordance with my invention by provid ing retaining membersat each sideof a turbine blade and by ,securing the retaining members either to the lashing wireor by securing the lashing wire,;the retaining mems hers and the blade together by fusion of metal produced .by the passagepf an electric join the blade and the wire currenttliroughthe Wire, the blade and the threaded on to thelashing wire .when the blades are being assembled. Associatedwith each of thecup like rings and its. associated blade is a ring of highfusing solder which is alsoptlireadedion to the lashing wire when assembling the blades. After assembly, the

"rings on each side ofa blade are clas ed by a; suitableelectric welding tool and; t e em irent pplied; Upon, appl cation cf the rent the rin are securely fastened to the wire or. as is shown in one form of my iiivention. the rings, the wire and the blades are all joined together by the solder. lhis is accomplished by the application of heat over a relatively small area of the blade and the physical properties of the blade are only slightly affected. Furthermore, no solder or speller is wasted and an even amount is applied to each blade.

Referring now to the drawing fo a better understanding of my invention, I show in Fig. 1 a partial row of turbine blades 10-10 having a series of holes 11-11 formed therein. Inserted in the holes 11-11 is a lashing wire 12. As shown in this modification of my invention the lashing wire 12 is threaded and, when assembling the blades a retaining member 13-13 is screwed on to the lashing wire at each side of a blade when the wire is inserted. Associated with each of the retaining members 13 is a ring of solder or spelter 14:. After the blades 11- 11, the wire 12, the retaining members 13- 13 and the solder rings 14-14 are all assembled the rings are clasped by a suitable welding tool, to be described later, the whole is squeezed together and the current applied. The passage of the electric current through the structure creates heat which melts the solder and firmly secures the retaining members 13-13 to the lashing wire. In accordance with this method of carrying out my invention, the greatest application of heat occurs where the rings 14-14: surround the lashing wire 12 and is thus remote from the blade surface. Furthermore the retaining members 13-13 provide a relatively wide area bearing against. the blade surface in order to hold the wire 12 in place.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 I show another form of my invention. In accordance with this modification a smooth lashing wire 16 is employed and is threaded through the holes 11-11. Fitting over the lashing wire 16 on each side of a blade 10 is a cup shaped retaining ring 17. Between each retaining member 17 and its associated blade is a ring of silver solder or brazing spelter 18. After the blades 10-10, the wire 16, the retaining members 17-17 and solder or spelter rings 18-18 are all assembled, the retaining members 17-17 on each side of a blade are clasped by a suitable welding tool 19 (Fig. 1), are pressed firmly against the blade and the current applied as previously described in connection with Fig. 1.

The welding tool 19 shown in Fig. 4.- is of a well known form and embodies two jaws 21 and 22 formed to accommodate the retaining members 17 and are insulated from each other as shown at 23. Electric leads for the two jaws are indicated at 2 1 and 26. lVith this form of welding tool, when the current is. applied, it will be seen that it passes from one of the jaws 21 or .22 to the other through the retaining members 17-17, the blade 10 and the spelter or solder rings 18-18. The passage of the current r0- duces heat. melts the solder or spelter rings 18-18 and firmly joins the wire 16. the retaining members 17-17 and the blade 10 together. Not only is the solder retained in place by the cup members 17-17 so that it is in positionto penetrate between the blade and the lashing wire but the cup member t self is firmly soldered to the lashing wire and forms an effective fastening. adjunct.

From the foregoing it will be apparent, that I have devised an improved lashing means for turbine blades wherein the lashing is securely fastened in place by fusion of metal and wherein a minimum of heat is ein 'iloyed in the process.

IVhile I have shown my invention inscvei'al forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and mod fications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In aturbine, a blade having a recess, a lashing member in the recess, a retaining member associated with the lashing member at each side of the, blade and abutting against one face of the blade, and means joining the retaining members to the lashing member.

2. In a turbine, a. blade having a recess, a lashing wire in the recess, a retaining member on the wire at each side of the blade and abutting against one face of the blade, and means joining together the re.- taiiiing members, the wire andv the blade.

3. In a turbine, a blade having a recess, a lashing wire in the recess, a retaining member on the wire at each side of the blade and abutting against one face of the blade, and fused metal means for joining the blade. the wire and the retaining members together.

47.111 a turbine, the combination of a blade having a hole therein, a lashingwire inserted in the hole, cup shaped retaining rings surrounding the wire on each side, of the blade and having the open ends thereof bearing against the blade, spelter rings surrounding the wire and disposed within the cup portions of the retaining rings, and fused metal means joining the retaining rings to the wire.

5. In a turbine, the combination of a blade having a hole therein, a lashing wire inserted in the hole, cup shaped retai nng rings surrounding the wire on each side of the blade and having the open ends thereof bearing against the blade, solder rings surround ing the wire and disposed within the cup portion of the rings and joining the rings to the wire, the wire to the blade and the rings to the blade.

6. In a turbine, a blade having a recess, a lashing member in the recess, a retaining member associated with the lashing member at each side of the blade and abutting against a face of the blade, and fused metal means joining the retaining members to the lashing member.

7. In a turbine, a row of blades having a In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 20 subscribed my name this 11th day of Feb. 1926.

DAVID C. DAVIS. 

